One More Chapter
A twenty two year-old's view on life, death,
and Taylor Swift conspiracy theories
and Taylor Swift conspiracy theories
2/28/2014 2 Comments My Brother is a WeasleyFor those of you who know my brother, I'm about to blow your mind. Apparently the Weasley brothers have grown up to look just like my brother...seriously if you combined their faces and died their hair blonde it would be Andrew. As it is the one on the right (no, I cannot tell them apart) looks eerily like my mother... this post was short and sweet, just thought that I would point this out. More to come today, though since I have much catching up to do. Thanks for reading, Amanda Lucille Song of the DayFollow Your Arrow by Kasey Musgraves
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Today's post is a bit of an update on the on-going of college life for all those family and friends who I don't get to see all the time or just those who are curious I suppose. Sorry if it's a boring topic, tomorrow's will be more universally pleasing, I promise! Mondays and Wednesdays I have my English369 lectures. This class, "Studies in Modern Fiction", is by far my favorite class. It's a great feeling to go into a class and think, this is where I belong. I know it sounds a bit cheesy, but I honestly think this whenever I am in class. Today, I was once again reminded of this when my professor, Stephen Clingman, was drawing parallels between Wide Sargasso Sea, the novel we were currently studying, and Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte. The class wasn't obligated to read Jane Eyre but Professor Clingman suggested that we do so for it is a great novel, then he muttered almost under his breath how there is nothing like a great book. Having spent my life growing up around people who just don't get my complete love for literature, besides my sister and father (though Audrey loves more YA paranormal romance and doesn't quite appreciate pre-modernist literature as I do), it is rather refreshing when you sit down in a class surrounded by others who are just as invested as you. For much of my life I have been rather frightened of growing up and not being happy. You always hear people telling you to "do what you love" and to "forget about the money". Well I want to do what I love and make a lot of money. It's not all in vain. I simply don't want to have to live pay check to pay check. I want to eventually have children and I want them to have the privileges that I did as a child, such as presents at Christmas and back to school clothes shopping. So I am absolutely determined to make this happen. But first I need to know what I would "love to do". I thought for so long that I wanted to be a chef...until I went to Monty Tech. Now, don't get me wrong, I absolutely loved going to Monty Tech and I absolutely loved being in the Culinary trade. I still love to cook, but I know now that I do NOT want to work in a kitchen for the rest of my life. It is a loud, smelly, stressful job with horrible hours. But hey, if you work in the Culinary Industry and you love what you do then good for you, I just learned that it wasn't for me. I still think that it would be nice to own a small, local diner or a cute cupcake shop, but maybe later in life when I need something to do with all this acquired 'character'. but that's another story. So I moved on to Film Studies when looking for colleges. I have always loved watching movies, making movies and learning about movies, so it only seemed natural for this to be my next step. I am now currently study film at UMass Amherst and thoroughly enjoy it - though I love doing hands on work much more than my lectures where we only talk about making movies. But don't worry, I understand that these lectures are necessary in order to get to the hands on classes. I have already worked on two different TV shows in my 1 1/2 semesters here and I am really liking it. But nothing has hit me so forcefully as this feeling in my literature classes. I like to think that this is what you feel like when you fall in love. They say that when it happens, you just know. I had always doubted this but when I sit in this Studies in Modern Fiction class I just know, this is where I am meant to be, this is what I am meant to do. I love studying for class, I am interested in my research, and I want to impress my teachers and prove myself to them. During my discussions on Fridays I am comfortable (we only have six students in my section so it's not very intimidating) and I feel good about participating and giving my opinions. I work harder in this class than in any others and I absolutely cannot wait to take more English classes in the future. Thank you for reading, Amanda Lucille Song of the DayA Place in This World by Taylor Swift We're taking it back to old school Taylor today; the greatest Taylor there is. 2/23/2014 0 Comments Movie Review: ADORELast night, while craving a trashy romance movie, I came across this movie, Adore, on Netflix and figured I would give it a shot. Now, I watched the trailer first so I had a bit of an expectation as to what I was about to watch, but it still ceased to freak me out. Not in an oh my god, can this get any scarier? kind of way, but in an oh my god, can this get any weirder? kind of way. For those of you who are unfamiliar with this film, here is a basic plot overview: Two girls grew up as best friends in a beautiful Australian beach town and both ended up having boys around the same age. When the boys are about ten or so, one of their fathers dies and leaves one of the women a widow. Cut to about ten years later, the boys are in their mid twenties and both women look exactly the same, as though time has absolutely no effect on them. Both sons are extremely handsome and soon both women have fallen in love with each other's sons and begin to have scandalous affairs with them, Yep. It's real. And me being down for any romantic movie out there, was completely down to see just exactly this would all play out. It wasn't awful, not at all. The acting was fairly good on the part of the two leading women (Naomi Watts and Robin Wright - who plays Jenny from Forest Gump and Princess Buttercup in The Princess Bride) and the supporting characters weren't a challenge to watch either, though nothing to shout about. In all, not a bad movie but just too strange to really get into it. So if you are looking for something interesting to watch on a rainy day (or a snow day since that seems to be the trend currently) I'd say to give it a chance. Just remember that it's rated R fora reason, and I know that there are some people that read my blog who should not be watching this move..! Thank you for reading, Amanda Lucille Song of the DayAdore You by Miley Cyrus I mean, come on - it's perfect to go with this movie. But notice that I have not linked the video to the official Miley Cyrus music video because I am just absolutely so against it. Plus it's way to graphic to put on this timid, family-friendly blog. sorry I had to get that out. That's right, it's competition season! I have been noticing my studio posting their countdown to their first competition of the year and it has made me undeniably nostalgic. So today I am writing in hope of describing this magical experience us dancers call Regionals. Arriving At the HotelCompetitions usually take 2 - 3 days and run from very early in the morning to very late at night, so it's imperative that everyone stays in a hotel nearby so we are actually able to get a reasonable amount of sleep. Plus, it's a great way to bond with your fellow dancers. It's like a giant family vacation - except you can't forget that you're there for a reason and need to stay focused. But getting to the hotel is one of the best parts. Everyone is running on adrenaline and anxiety, excited for what the weekend has in store. When you get there and start running in to everyone it really sets in that you're at competition. It's all been leading to this. Usually my mother and I would unpack our belongings, check again that we have all my costumes and accessories, then join up with my friend Claire and her mother for dinner. The tradition itself was something special and never failed to get me into the competition mind set. In the morning we all get ready - or partially ready - then eat breakfast in the small area where they have the Continental Breakfast every morning for guests. The food they fed us there could hardly actually be called "food" but for some reason it was the greatest thing we'd ever tasted. Arriving at CompetitionYou first arrive to the venue and you hear the music, see all the dancers in costume, and breathe in the overwhelming stench of hairspray in the air and you know that it's time to seriously get to business. Usually, on the way to the dressing room (which you can't wait to get to because you're holding all your costumes in one hand and are pretty sure your arm will give out at any second) you'll most likely pass the picture station and a few miscellaneous girls stretching in ways you could only dream of. Panic begins to set in. Once you reach the dressing room the first thing you need to do it secure a spot for your studio somewhere in the usually way-too-small-to-possibly-fit-everybody-space. It's usually a cafeteria or curtained off section behind the stage. And once you've secured the best spot, it's time to finish getting ready and start rehearsing. The Waiting GameThe worst part of competition is when you must wait fifteen songs for your dance. Watching others doing an amazing job makes you feel extremely anxious and fidgety. It's also extra frightening when your next performance is your most difficult routine. The absolute worst is when you are last to go so you have to sit through one hundred numbers, slowly going crazy and going over your routine again and again in your head. AwardsAfter you've preformed, you feel like you were on stage for two seconds and then it's on to awards, always a good time as long as you have enough leg room. If not, you're sure to be squirming in hopes that you can prevent both legs from falling completely asleep. Awards seem to go on forever only because you are usually so uncomfortable and sweating under the lights, but the anticipation makes it worth it. After wards you shake your legs out and walk in to the audience to meet your mom and teachers. Competition is over. It feels like it has gone by in the blink of an eye and it's always an amazing experience that brings us together. And not having something like this anymore is seriously a sad feeling. Thank you for reading, Amanda Lucille Song of the DayWhere We Gonna Go From Here by Mat Kearney 2/20/2014 0 Comments Paleo Really Isn't That BadI recently switched up my diet to go from primarily gluten-free to the Paleo diet. A lot of people have heard of this diet before, but for those who are unaware of what exactly it is, here is a website with a little more information: http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2010/10/04/the-beginners-guide-to-the-paleo-diet/ A lot of people say that it isn't healthy, but honestly I don't care. I did my research and found plenty of articles explaining its benefits and how good it is for losing weight and gaining muscle (which is my primary goal right now in preparation for the upcoming beach weather and also just my overall health). A lot of people think that this diet leaves nothing to be eaten, but I am about to show you that you are dead wrong. Just take a look at some of these mouth-watering recipes I recently discovered (thanks Pinterest!). "Hunter's" StewThis recipe sounds perfect for a cold, winter night in New England and I can't wait to try it out with my mother, who loves to try new healthy recipes with me!
Carrot And Sweet Potato FriesI used to make these all the time while I was gluten-free. Sweet potatoes are my absolute favorite - in fact all potatoes are my absolute favorite. I really, really love potatoes. Anyways, during my gluten-free diet I also extended to include any fried foods as well. So to compensate I would cut sweet potatoes into long strips and bake them with salt, pepper and a little olive oil. AMAZING! I can't wait to try it with carrots as well and those additional spices sound - and look - awesome. I also want to try without any olive oil and see how it turns out; just another way to eliminate some extra, unnecessary calories.
Spaghetti Squash and Turkey BallsJust, yes. I can't tell you when the last time I had spaghetti and meatballs was. Unfortunately meatballs are usually made with breadcrumbs so I could never even just eat them without the spaghetti. Fortunately this recipe is much healthier than traditional spaghetti and meatballs, and sounds delicious as well! I usually hate squash (except summer squash - they're like yellow zucchinis!) but the function hall where I work sometimes serves it in this "spaghetti" form and it is out of this world delicious.
No Bake Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Brownies.Umm..yeah. You read that right. I fully believe that it is acceptable to occasionally treat yourself, as long as you are still sticking to your diet. Because, while this recipe is completely Paleo, it still is not very healthy. But every now and then we all need those sweet fixes.
So, as you can tell, the Paleo diet really isn't that bad. The only problem is that while I'm at school I am incredibly limited to a very small amount of food, since I can't exactly cook my own meals here - as much as I might like to. I hope to check in with some updates on how this diet is going as the weeks go by. So far I'm about four days in and let me tell you: the sugar cravings are overwhelming. But I'm holding on. Thank you for reading, Amanda Lucille Song of the DayDark Blue Tennessee by Taylor Swift 2/18/2014 6 Comments My Tattoo ExperienceI know that a lot of people out there want to get or are thinking about getting a tattoo sometime in their life - whether is be soon or in the distant future. Today I am going to try and prepare you for this crazy experience. My TattoosJust so you know a little about me, I have three tattoos. My first I got for my 18th birthday and it's of three birds on my left shoulder. There is one for my mémère, pépère, and my great mémère. My second I got right before leaving for college on my foot and it says "Once upon a time...". It is meant to be an ode to my love of storytelling (writing, film making, etc.) My latest tattoo was done last November. It is the words "In my life, I love you more" from the Beatles' song "In My Life" written on my ribs in John Lennon's handwriting. It is a tattoo for my mother; lyrics from her favorite song. Picking a LocationThe most important step in deciding on a tattoo is picking a location. To all the ladies out there, here is my biggest tip: ask yourself will this look good in a wedding dress? If the answer is "no", then maybe save that location for after the big day. Another important aspect to remember is getting a job. A lot of employers do not allow their employees to have visible tattoos, especially in the positions involving a lot of face-to-face costumer contact. Even if you don't plan on making a career in such positions, there is always the possibility that you will need a place holder job to keep you going while you make your way to a fulfilling career, and tattoos can get in the way of this. That is why all my tattoos are in easily concealable places. Pain LevelsYes, there is no way to sugar coat it: tattoo hurt...a lot. But some places hurt more than others, and it differs for everyone. I could easily handle the back of my shoulder. This is because the more flesh there is in the area you are getting tattooed, the less it will hurt. For the most part it felt like a really annoying pinch, with the exception of when it hit a bone, in which case I had to grit my teeth for the pain level increase dramatically. But overall, it was the easiest to endure. My foot was the complete other side of the spectrum. I wasn't worried since I handled the first pretty well and I have several friends with foot tattoos, all over which claimed that it really wasn't that bad. I'm here to tell you they lied. I have never experienced a pain to horrible in my entire life, and that is not an exaggeration. I wanted so badly to just get up and walk out with an unfinished tattoo. This just goes to show though that everyone's pain tolerance is different and people will think some areas are more painful than others. My rib tattoo was one which I was VERY nervous for. After having suffered through having my foot tattooed, I wasn't sure that I could handle the ribs since I had heard it was the most painful place to get done. My tattooer assured me that I would be fine and I then went to town stabbing my ribs with multiple ink filled needles at an incomprehensible speed. And it didn't hurt. I mean, yes it was very uncomfortable at times and there were moments where my breath caught, but overall I actually liked the pain, as strange as that sounds. But it's true, the pain of getting a tattoo is almost addicting, and completely worth it. It's so weird, you can't really fully understand it until you've actually gone through it. Ask anyone you know who has one. But just remember, tattoos are forever. You can't erase them and they don't wash away. So really think about them, do it tastefully, and make sure they mean something. Any more questions about tattoos? Leave a comment asking and I'll be sure to get back to you! Thanks for reading, Amanda Lucille Song of the DayWhite Blank Page by Mumford and Sons Alright, it's time to set the record straight. People have been thinking that I grew up on a farm. This is incorrect. I grew up next to a farm. *finger guns* Anyways, all joking aside, I loved my childhood. There is no place that I would have rather grown up in than Princeton, Mass. It's alright if you have never heard of this town before, no one has, but it's one of the most beautiful places I've ever been to - especially in the Fall. There are a few things that are unique to Princeton that defined the way I grew up that most people cannot even fathom. So this blog post today is to try and describe the things that define Princeton and to help you picture what growing up here is really like. for all my Princeton friends, leave a comment adding to this post if I missed anything. EntertainmentGrowing up in Princeton, or as any child born before Y2K, our means of entertainment were a million times better than in present day. For one, we didn't have cable. There isn't a large enough population. So what did we do for fun, you may ask? Well, we used that funny thing called "imagination". My sister and I used to play in the woods for entertainment. One time we actually spend months playing in a cardboard box...it was amazing!! Now the only things that kids know about the woods and nature is what they read in textbooks and what they see on TV. Proximity to NeighborsYou know how in all those episodes of Gilmore Girls Lorelei and Rory walked everywhere around town and only ever used their car if they were going to Emily and Richard's house? Yup, that does actually happen in real life folks,and it happens in Princeton. The thing with living in Princeton is that everyone's house is within an approximately a 6 mile radius to each other. My sister and her friends actually just run to each other's houses, or walk depending on how close they are. Granted, most of us are lazy and just drive to save time (plus in the winter it's just way too cold). But in the Summer, Fall and Spring you can always see people walking/jogging/biking around town. The thing about living in such a small town is that everyone knows everyone else's business. It's great because who doesn't love gossip, but horrible when you're on the other end of it. But, while we are all in each other's business, I am pretty sure that there is only one road in the whole town where you can see your neighbor's house from your bedroom window. Almost everyone is surrounded by woods and has their house set back from the woods at least a quarter of a mile. Which is nice, but sometimes creepy and you feel like you are living in the perfect setting for a horror movie. I'm glad I didn't have cable, the seven working channels were enough for me. But I do have to say, Netflix changed our life. Town-wide EventsHere are some of the events that take place in Princeton: -Town-wide Yard Sale Day -Hay Day (it's a time to show off animals, paint pumpkins, and see local art!) -Art Show (held at the only school in town where local artists and students get to show off their art and get judged) -Halloween Howler (held by the eighth grade, it's a time of costume and food contests, haunted hay rides and more small-town fun) We even have a day where everyone with a historic house opens it up for people around town to tour them. We're a big fan of those good ol' town-bonding events. A Few Things We're Missing...-Cell phone signal -Any kind of chain restaurant / store...or non-chain restaurants / stores for that matter Well, we actually have two restaurants and one pizza place that doesn't deliver along with a "market" where you can all the things you will NEVER need for way too much money. -A stop light. Yep. That's right. -Cable TV, As I previously mentioned. -A High School, there is one high school for the "Wachusett" District which is made up of five different towns Basically, my town is awesome. Even if there are more animals than people. Thanks for reading, Amanda Lucille Song of the DayI Ain't In Checotah Anymore by Carrie Underwood 2/13/2014 0 Comments Sister, SisterA lot of people don't understand my relationship with my sister. And I understand, it's a complex one that seems to have a lot of mood swings. We used to be unable to sit in the same room for more than two seconds without erupting into a screaming fight, but now we are surprisingly relaxed...most of the time. I think every pair of sisters have a very different relationship, some are best friends, some are enemies and others fall somewhere in the middle of the spectrum. But I am now going to try and take the time to explain our unique sister-ness. 1. We're TelepathicThis is no joke. You know when you and a friend look at each other and know what each other are thinking without having to say anything? It's like that, but on a whole other level. Seriously. It really freaks me out sometimes. 2. We Watch All The Same ThingsAnd I mean all. So we always have someone to talk to about how something freakishly relates to something else. It's great because you actually feel like someone gets how big of a deal it is when it actually is not at all. 3. The OfficeIf my sister and I were morphed into a single human being, this would be our flaw. We have seen every episode of the The Office way too many times each. It's to the point where on long car rides we will play a game where we must guess the Season and Episode number of a certain episode based of a single line of dialogue. Or one person will start a quote and the other must finish. Basically if we walked into a room where The Office was playing on TV we could talking along with the characters and never miss a beat. And I can promise you 100% that this is not an exaggeration. During the years when we would come home from school and have no extra curricular activities to attend to we got really into binge watching this show and it often frightens people when they realize just how honest these claims are. 4. Gilmore GirlsIn reference to the GIF above, the best way to explain Audrey and I would be to compare us to Lorelei and Rory Gilmore from Gilmore Girls, which we also watched every episode of (thank you Netflix!). If we could do anything we wanted we would spend our days shoving our face with junk food and watch trashy television. We do it on occasion, but unlike Audrey, I would actually gain a LOT of weight from a continuance of this whereas she might actually loose weight and gain muscle mass because her body just seems to work like that. In addition, the way we talk is similar to Rory and Lorelei and tends to swing back around to the whole telepathy thing. 5. We Know How To Handle Our Anger...NowIt's complicated and embarrassing, but we came up with a system for dealing with our anger and fights in a healthy way. Audrey, if you're reading this...you know what I'm talking about: 6. Mutual FriendsMy sister and I basically live the same lives. We both work at the same wedding venue and have been going to the same summer camp (which we now both work at) since we were 5. Therefore, we have A LOT of mutual friends. I also "stole" her best friend from preschool when I started dancing with her and now we are best friends. Her current best friend is also like a sister to me, so yeah, it's a good time. 7. Jennifer LawrenceIn the end, no matter if we are fighting or having a moment of peace, there is one thing that will always bring us together: Our love for Jenn - that's right we're on a first name basis, in my mind. What are you and your sister like? Comment below! Thanks for reading, Amanda Lucille Song of the DayHome by Gabrielle Aplin 2/10/2014 1 Comment Dreaming With A Broken HeartI have heard so many stories about what dreams mean and how they can tell you a lot about yourself and possibly even tell you something about your future. Now, I'm not completely sure that actually believe all of this, but it is rather interesting to consider. There are a few dreams I have fairly often, or that I used to have fairly often. So I took the time to see what that magical thing called "The Internet" has to tell me about these dreams. Teeth Falling OutThis is a dream I have ALL THE TIME.I have since I was a kid, and it still freaks me out. It always happens the same way: I walk into the bathroom at my dad's house and turn on the light (which is always too bright and florescent, making it hard to see everything clearly). Then when I turn to the mirror and make sure I look ok, I feel one tooth become loose. I pull it out, which feels extremely realistic, and stare at it in my palm. Suddenly the rest of my teeth feel slightly wiggly as well. When I run my tongue along them they slowly become looser and looser and begin to pop out of my mouth. I can't close my mouth because it will push all my teeth completely out of my mouth. It is the most realistic dream I have ever, and probably will ever, have. It's absolutely horrifying, though there is no blood at all. I looked up what this dream could possibly mean, and as it turns out this dream is rather common among people. Apparently it could mean multiple things. I have heard it could mean you are afraid of death, which I would say is a fair assumption considering Death is a very scary thing. I have also heard that it could mean you are close to death. I hope this is not true. Some other interpretations say that this dream is trying to tell you that you are lacking in confidence in your physical appearance. Once again I completely buy this assumption for I have horrible self-esteem. It is also said this it could be due to a feeling of powerlessness or due to anxiety brought on my something in your life. Whatever the case may be, I hate the dream. And even now, in the waking world, I can still remember the awful sensation of all my teeth crumbling out of my mouth. It's disgusting. Have any of you had this dream before? The HouseThere was a long period of time during which I had the same dream over and over about the same house. In the dream it was my own house (as in I owned it in the dream, it was not my actually house in real life). Every time it started the same: I would be walking down the street to the house - it was on the street that I lived on in real life and was where my neighbors lived, but it didn't look anything like my neighbors' house - and casually enter the house. It would open up to a beautiful parlor which always had the same Christmas tree, which was odd because when I was walking on the street the weather was very pleasant and seemed to be summer. The dream would just be me walking through the house. It was always empty and I never recall every meeting anyone else in the house, but it was so detailed. I remember every aspect of the house even to this day. And that was all the dream was. I would walk down the street, walk through the house, then wake up. I never said anything and I never met anyone. Now that I think about the silence of the dream, it seems rather creepy, but in the moment it felt comforting and pleasant. I found this article on what dreams about houses represent and tell you: http://www.dreammoods.com/dreamthemes/house.htm It says that a dream centering around a house is self-reflexive, and that each room is representative to certain aspects of your psyche. It also says that if you are alone in the house that it suggests feelings of insecurity (wow, that's another symbol of insecurity....) It's rather interesting and I suggest you take a look. Has anyone else had a similar dream? I have had other reoccurring dreams as well, but none of which I think I will be able to find answers for online. Though I'd still be rather interested in knowing what they mean. Leave a comment telling of some of your own interesting dreams! Thank you for reading, Amanda Lucille Song of the DayKeep On Dreaming Even If It Breaks Your Heart by Eli Young Band 2/7/2014 0 Comments The American Pavilion"See what you have to ask yourself is what kind of person are you? Are you the kind that sees signs, that sees miracles? Or do you believe that people just get lucky? Or, look at the question this way: Is it possible that there are no coincidences?" - Graham Hess, Signs (2002) Quick Update: Today I received the amazing news that I have officially been accepted into the American Pavilion's L.A. Summer Film Intensive Program. For all those of you what are wondering what that means, let me clarify. The American Pavilion hosts multiple film programs each year. There is on in Italy for multiple weeks, one is actually for the Cannes Film Festival in France and there is the L.A. Intensive, which I applied to. They except 10 - 20 applicants each year, in order to ensure that the experience is as beneficial to those involved as possible. Basically, if accepted, you get to spend a little over a week in L.A. while living in UCLA upperclassmen dormitories. You are brought on tours of the city, go to panels with important people in the industry, see tapings of TV shows, sit in on table reads and so much more. It's an amazing opportunity and I feel so blessed to have been given this opportunity. Plus, who wouldn't want to spend a week in L.A.? I plan to, of course, do a LOT of blogging during the trip - so keep an eye out for that....in August... :) Thank you for reading, Amanda Lucille Song of the DayOne Night by Ed Sheeran |
About This Blog:I started this blog as a way to challenge myself to write more over the 2014 year, but it has blossomed into so much more than that. I use it to let people in on what's happening in my life, talk about things I find important and to spread the news about amazing people, places and art. Archives
November 2017
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